This invention relates generally to incinerators for the abatement of process emissions, for example, fumes emitted from coating, laminating, painting, or dry cleaning processes, and more specifically, to a novel regenerative incinerator and valve for the control of fluid flow to and from the regenerator portion of the incinerator.
Noxious fumes, waste gases or process emissions, which may be termed "feed gas", "waste gas" or "emissions" generally contain combustible contaminants. However, the amount of combustible material contained in such emissions is generally below several thousand ppm and, accordingly, will not ignite or propagate a flame at ambient temperature.
Incinerators increase the temperature of such emissions to a level above the ignition temperature of the combustible contaminants by the use of heat derived from a supplemental energy source thereby to oxidize the emission.
Regenerative incinerators recover heat remaining in the cleansed exhaust gas to increase the temperature of emissions entering the incinerator thereby minimizing the amount of supplemental energy required to raise the emission to its ignition temperature.